WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As more value-priced brands enter the marketplace and the average purchase price of tablets declines, overall tablet satisfaction declines, according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction StudySM—Volume 1 released today.

"Since the inaugural U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study in 2012, a number of new tablet OEMs have entered the U.S. marketplace, differentiating themselves to satisfy a growing interest in owning a tablet," said Kirk Parsons, senior director of telecommunications services at J.D. Power. "Price has significantly impacted the marketplace. The average purchase price continues to drop and consumer expectations of tablet performance and features are different than they were for past products. Subsequently, overall satisfaction has declined, especially with ease of operation, as navigation features and functions have changed."

KEY FINDINGS

Lower price is the No.1 reason for tablet choice in 2014, with 25 percent of current tablet owners citing price as the main reason for selecting their current brand, compared with 21 percent in 2013. Features offered and brand reputation are the next most-frequently cited reasons for selecting a tablet device (22% and 21%, respectively).

Since 2012, the average purchase price of a tablet has decreased by $53 ($337 in 2014 vs. $390 in 2012).

Overall satisfaction has decreased by 18 points to 835 on a 1,000-point scale in 2014 from 853 in 2012. The largest decline in satisfaction is in the ease of operation factor, with substantial decreases in two attributes over the three-year time frame: navigation (8.30 vs. 8.52, respectively, on a 10-point scale) and adjusting tablet settings (8.30 vs. 8.50, respectively).

It's taking longer for tablet owners to perform the initial set-up on their devices in 2014 than three years ago, as more features and pre-loaded apps are included with the device. In 2014, the average time for initial tablet set-up is 64 minutes, compared with 55 minutes in 2012.

Prior to purchasing a tablet, 50 percent of consumers rely on brand reputation to help drive their brand purchase decision—an increase from 42 percent just six months ago. Manufacturer websites (47%) and recommendations from friends, family members or colleagues (46%) are key drivers of brand purchase choice.

Apple ranks highest in overall satisfaction with a score of 830 and performs highest in all study factors except cost. Samsung ranks second with a score of 822 and achieves above-average scores in the features, styling and design, and cost factors.

The 2014 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study—Volume 1 is based on experiences evaluated by 2,513 tablet owners who have owned their current device for less than one year. The study was fielded between September 2013 and February 2014. The study measures satisfaction across five factors (in order of importance): performance (28%); ease of operation (22%); features (22%); styling and design (17%); and cost (11%).

Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Scores

JDPower.com Power Circle RatingsTM

(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

For Consumers

Apple

830

5

Samsung

822

3

Study Average

821

3

Asus

820

3

Amazon

817

3

Acer

769

2

Power Circle Ratings Legend5 – Among the best4 – Better than most3 – About average2 – The rest